Apparatus for making tufts for tufted rugs



July 18, 1944. J. A. BISHOP APARATUS FOR MAKING 'IUFTS FOR TUFTED RUGS Filed Feb. 2, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 INVENTOR.

v ATTORNEYS.

v y 1944- J. A. BISHOP APPARATUS FOR MAKING TUF'IS FOR TUFTED HUGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 2, 1944 INVENTOR. M a, BY

ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 18, 1944 OFFICE APPARATUS FOR MAKING. TUFTS FOR TUFTED RUGS James A. Bishop, Bridgeville, Pa.

Application February 2, 1944, Serial No. 520,814

5 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in apparatus for making tufts for tufted rugs and it isamong the objects thereof to provide a frame for winding and cutting yarn for making the tufts which are assembled by sewing on the base or body material.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a yarn winding and cutting frame which shall facilitate the knotting and cutting of the tufts and which shal1 generally reduce the labor and expedite the measuring and assembly of the yarn material.

The invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawings constituting a part hereof in which like reference characters designate like parts and in which,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an assembly frame embodying the principles of this invention;

Fig. 2, a side elevational view thereof;

, Fig. 3, an end elevational view taken along the line 3-3, 2;

Fig. 4, a vertical cross-sectional view partially in elevation, taken longitudinally along the line 4-4, Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 a transverse section partially in elevation, taken along the line 55, Fig. 1;

Fig. 6, a transverse section taken along the line 6-6 Fig. 1; r

Fig. 7, a partial top plan view of one end of the frame;

Fig. 8, a partial top plan view of the other end of the frame;

Fig. 9, a top plan view of the frame and yarn assembly;

Fig. 10, a transverse section of the frame and yarn assembly taken along the line ll 0, Fig. 9;

Fig. 11, a top plan view of a portion of the frame and yarn assembly, and

Fig. 12, a top plan and side elevational view of a finished tuft.

With reference to the several figures of the drawings the structure therein illustrated comprise a tufting frame consisting of a base board I, having rounded ends 2 and 3 on which are mounted pins 4 and that are slotted vertically as shown at 6. The ends 2 and 3 are slotted as shown at l the slot curving downwardly as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2.

A plurality of T-shaped blocks 8 are mounted on the base member I, in longitudinally spaced relation as shown, there being eight of such blocks illustrated in the drawings, the spaces between the T-shaped blocks forming inverted T-slots 9 between adjacent blocks. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the T blocks are provided with longitudinal grooves i0 and with a central groove l l. The center or tongu l2 of the blocks extends above the edge of members i3. 'As shown in Fig. 4 the central projecting member I2 is provided with transverse slots I4 which do not extend to the bottom of the groove I l and the edge members [3 of the T blocks are slotted at I 5 as shown in Figs. 1 and2. Th spaces It between adjacent blocks are of sufficient width to permit the insertion of cutting shears or scissors for apurpose to-be hereinafter explained, A pin l'l curved at I 8 is mounted on the longitudinal center line of the block in spaced relation with the end pin 5. The yarn assembly and cutting frame is used in the following manner for making tufts.

The wool yarn from which the tufts as shown in Fig. 12 are made is designated by the numeral 25 and is wound around the pegs 5 and Il nine times starting and ending at peg H as shown in Fig. '7. The wrapped yarn is then lifted from the pegs and cut with scissors at the bend of the loop designated by the numeral 2! making ten strands which are of a predetermined length and which ar inserted in the slots [4 and I5 transversely of the T blocks asshown in Fig. 8 there being eight long strands required for the T blocks and the other two short strands are inserted in the slots 6 of the end posts 4 and 5 as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The short strands are designated by the numeral 23. The yarn is then wrapped around the end posts 4 and 5 to form longitudinal loops as shown in Fig. 9 which over-lay the transverse strands 23, and the end strands 24, the yarn being built up in the longitudinal grooves In as shown in Fig. 10.

The transverse strands 23 are then out along the dotted line by placing the shears in the groove II as shown in Fig. 10. The cut end is then tied with the depending end of the transverse strand to form knotted ties 25, Figs. 11 and 12. The end strands are similarly tied around the end loops 26 of the yarn as shown at 21, Fig. 11. The assembled yarn is then cut with shears placed in the T slots 9 along the dotted lines as shown in Fig. 11 transversely of the frame to form separate tufted units which are removed from the frame, there being ill of such tufts which when folded and tied in the manner shown in Fig. 12 may be sewed to a piece of cloth with the tufts standing vertically to form the rug surface. By using colored yarns the tufts may be arranged on the rug to form various ornamental designs and color arrangements.

The spacing of the end pins 4 and 5 of the frame may be such that a standard skein may be looped over the pins to expedite assembly of the yarn on the frame. This can be advantageously done where such skeins are produced with the proper number of threads or loops.

By means of the above described assembly frame, tufts may be made with minimum skill and effort and of uniform shape and size. The large transverse T slots 9 and the open slot II in the central tongue member permit the use of regular cutting shears instead of razor blades or other dangerous cutting members.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described it will be evident to those skilled in the art that vari ous modifications may be made in the details of construction without departing from the principles herein set forth.

walls, forming parallel grooves for receiving strands of yarn and having a grooved tongue coextensive with and extending above the side walls thereof, said side walls and tongue have transverse slots of substantial depth and of a width to receive cutting shears and having inter mediate relatively narrow and shallow slots for receiving a single strand of yarn, the spacing of said transverse slots corresponding to the length of the tufts when severed.

2. A tufting frame comprising an elongated base, a plurality of T-shape guides mounted in longitudinally spaced relation on said base forming inverted T-shape transverse slots, said guides having a pair of relatively deep and wide grooves and a central shallow groove parallel with the longitudinal edges of said base and said guides havin transverse slots centrally thereof for receiving tie-strands, and end posts on said base for receiving the looped ends of the yarn strands passing through the parallel wide grooves to be fastened by said tie-strands before severing through said inverted T-shape slots, said end posts being slotted for receiving tie strands.

3,. A tufting frame having parallel grooves divided by a grooved tongue projecting above the outer upper edges of said parallel grooves, said frame having relatively wide spaced transverse slots extending below said grooves and narrow spaced transverse slots extending partially into the groove of said tongue and to the bottom of said parallel grooves in the outer walls thereof for receiving tie-strands, and end posts in alignment with said grooved tongue for winding yarn therearound with the strands disposed in said first named grooves.

4. A tufting frame having parallel grooves divided by a grooved tongue projecting above the outer upper edges of said parallel grooves, said frame having relatively wide spaced transverse slots extending below said grooves and narrow spaced transverse slots extending partially into the groove of said tongue and to the bottom of said parallel grooves in the outer walls thereof for receiving tie-strands, end posts in alignment with said grooved tongue for winding yarn therearound with the strands disposed in said first named parallel grooves and a removable peg spaced from one of said end posts for looping yarn which when severed at the ends of the loops are of proper length for use as tie-strands.

5. A tufting frame comprising a base, a plurality of blocks mounted in longitudinally spaced relation on said base, said blocks being of T-shape and forming inverted T-slots therebetween and said blocks having outer grooves parallel with the longitudinal edges of said base and a grooved tongue extending above said blocks centrally thereof and parallel with said grooves, said blocks having transverse slots centrally thereof extending partially through the groove of the tongue and to the bottom of the outer grooves through one wall thereof for receiving tie-strands and end posts for looping yarn through said outer grooves, the spacing of the slots corresponding to the length of the tufts when severed and said end posts being spaced from the end T-slots so that the cutoff loops form tufts of the same dimensions as those formed in said blocks.

JAMES A. BISHOP. 

